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| The Jindo Dog Theme Park on Jin Island, South Jeolla Province, has been receiving criticisms recently over the park's treatment of its dogs which some claim are being abused. / Screen captured from Jindo County Office |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Animal-related commercial projects and festivals across the country have faced growing backlash from residents and activists who want to protect animal rights as well as the environment.
The Jindo Dog Theme Park on Jin Island, South Jeolla Province, has come under fire with claims of animal abuse.
An online petition was filed on the Cheong Wa Dae website, March 4, calling for the shutdown of the park, a renowned tourist attraction on the island where the Jindo, a Korean dog breed, is said to have originated.
The petitioner said these dogs are sensitive to loud noises, and forcing them to perform in shows at the park in front of audiences is an act of animal abuse.
"The park has a Jindo dog race they call entertainment, but is also abuse. At the show, the dogs have to run with a muzzle on, and this makes it difficult for them to control their body temperature as they cannot breathe properly," the petitioner wrote.
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| Jindo Dog Theme Park / Screen captured from Jindo County Office |
"The park is an animal circus that wastes taxpayers' money, not to promote the excellence of the Jindo," the person said.
The petition gained more than 26,000 supporters as of Monday.
As criticism escalates, the Jindo County Office said that the park offers various facilities for dogs and owners to enjoy, and it is a space that promotes the magnificence of the unique breed.
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| A residents' committee on Jeju Island stages a rally in front of Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Office, Aug. 29, 2019, in opposition to a project to build an animal theme park there, which they claim will cause environmental damage and violate animal rights. Korea Times file |
On Jeju Island, an animal theme park project caused fierce debate among residents over the last four years until it was finally scrapped recently.
The provincial government's review committee decided not to approve the proposal of Daemyung Park, a subsidiary of resort operator Daemyung Group, to build a park on a 580,000-square-meter site near Gotjawal, Jocheon-eup in Jeju City, citing problems with investment plans, financial resources and environmental conservation.
The proposal included a plan to build a hotel, campsites and host more than 500 wild animals including lions, tigers and brown bears.
The park originally started as a horse-themed tourism facility, as horse rearing has been one of Jeju's key industries, but was expanded to include exotic animals after Daemyung Group took over the business in 2017.
Many residents and activists opposed the plan, saying animals confined to the planned park would become stressed and the park would destroy the habitat of many indigenous plants and animals there, especially considering the Gotjawal area is known as an area where biodiversity has been well preserved and Jocheon-eup has been designated as a Ramsar Wetland City.
Disapproving the business proposal, Kim Jae-woong, director general of the provincial government's tourism bureau, said, "We concluded that both the plan for securing capital and any kind of sincere dialogue with residents were insufficient."
Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong also said in a press conference last November that the provincial government couldn't approve the business without sincere consultations with local residents and the Ramsar Wetland Committee.
"It is difficult to approve the business project without a thorough discussion on whether it is suitable for the future value of making a clean Jeju and protecting the ecosystem of the island," Won said at the time.
Earlier there had also been calls to scrap ice fishing festivals, bullfighting festivals and other animal-related events over claims of animal abuse.
In 2019, controversy emerged over the famous annual trout fishing-centered Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, with some posting petitions on Cheong Wa Dae's website describing the festival as "slaughter." But the local government said it would continue to hold the event which draws more than 1.5 million visitors every year and generates significant revenue.
Also in 2019, Jeongeup City Council in North Jeolla Province refused to earmark a supplementary budget requested by the city government for its traditional bullfighting event, following protest from animal rights groups.
